The Antler King

For over a decade, Esther Lybeert and Maarten Flamand have been making music as The Antler King. Eleven years ago, they found their unique place in the Belgian musical world with their untitled début album and, last year, they followed this up with 'Dances’, a fourth record to add to their small but impressive discography. It is a genuine The Antler King record, on which genres lovingly intertwine and experiments run rampant without ever becoming unlistenable. This is Cocorosie meets psychedelica, Prince meets Madou. It is Connan Mockasin working with Mount Kimbie. It is a complete musical universe.

The only rule that Lybeert and Flamand have religiously applied when creating music is that there are no rules. When the duo first began to think about 'Dances’, they originally wanted to make a record that sounded different and highlighted various other influences. Lighter. Something you could dance to. The first songs certainly lived up to that ambition but then life happened and they had to deal with a few surprises. They were confronted with sickness and loss in their close circle. These types of events will always have an impact on the creative process. The result is a record with an A-side that will draw people onto the dance floor while the B-side winds down towards a last-dance pace. But, above all, it is an honest record without compromise or concession and filled with inspiration.